CHAPTER 11 THE ANSWER?
The man on the radio had a deep, compelling voice, "From now on there will be plenty of everything, and you will not give thanks to some invisible ‘Santa Claus’? You will give thanks to me, for I am now the provider of all bread."
The announcer was excited, giving lots of evidences that this man really had the ideas and power to ensure peace. The newsman bragged, "Why, he has as much power as Jesus Christ!"
It was convincing to me. No one would have any more problems. All nations would give up their weapons. We would only need to pledge allegiance to this man and follow his orders. After that, we could relax and enjoy ourselves.
"Dad, isn't this what we've been needing? Haven‘t we all been hoping for a leader who could really figure out how to make us safe? Isn’t that why all the nations voted him in?" I asked.
"JG, we've got to ask more questions. Are there some things that this man is not telling? We've got to be very discerning and read between the lines. He sounds like Jack Kennedy, Einstein, Hitler, and Churchill all in one," said Dad. "I believe this is the evil man that we have been expecting, men. He certainly isn't Christ. The fireworks will begin to pop soon."
I wondered what he was taking about; Dad is usually so businesslike. It seemed strange for him to have predictions about the future. Also, I wondered what he meant by "pop." Was that good, or bad? In the last few months he had done a lot of Bible study, and it had turned him into a deep thinker. I was going to have to get used to this new side of Dad.
As far as we could tell, things out there in the world had been getting more and more radical. Since there had been so many mysterious explosions and bank failures, everyone was terrified. One night we heard the usual theme song, a song that we used to sing in church, and then the Man had an announcement:
"The time has come for the ordering of the new world of peace, and plenty. Those who have not received their permanent ID will be expected to participate by next Thursday. Redistribution of the world’s wealth will surely be worth one small prick on your hand or forehead. To receive all the benefits of the new world economic plan, everyone will go to their local post office, sign the necessary papers, and get their security chip. This is for the good of all people. After this, no one can take what is rightfully yours or evade the necessary taxes. The Plan provides that what‘s fair for one will be fair for all."
Dad heard the news with calm resignation. "Yes, this is it," he murmured. "We've got to have a meeting and talk over our options."
We boys didn‘t think much about his suggestion. We had no idea of any threat to us. Why should anything on the radio bother us?
We finished our supper and washed off our plates and spoons, hanging each set in its own sack on a nail to let them air dry. Paul wasn't grouchy about dishes now that we all did our own. Mom poured some hot chocolate, and then began the most serious meeting of our young lives.
"Family," said Dad ominously, "that man that we've been hearing on the radio has been voted in as the world boss. He has these great ideas for world peace and for straightening out the money mess. Everyone will be doing their business through the scanners at the store. No more money, no more crime."
I couldn't understand why Dad looked so sober. He wasn't one of those stick-in-the-mud old fogies who never wanted to try anything new, was he? Maybe one boss was the perfect way to world peace. How could nations fight with each other, if there was only one nation? We had learned at school to want to be citizens of the world even if it meant giving up our American citizenship. Our teachers had asked us, "Wouldn’t you be willing to share?"
"This is the beginning of our last big test, “ said Dad. If we go along with this plan, we will lose our souls. But if we don't we will probably lose our lives. I don't know if I will have the faith and courage to stand true to the Lord, now that the time has come. I will be torn by what the cost might be for you all. Maybe we should just turn ourselves in."
Sol got everyone's attention. "Doesn't it seem like a miracle that we are up here in this mountain with nowhere else to go? It looks as if God Himself is trying to hide us. Wouldn't it be like killing ourselves just to give up?"
We all had to agree with him, but would we be like refugees in our own nation, and probably hungry?
Scopi, who was feeling good again, leaned forward into the firelight facing Dad. "You will have me right behind you, Dad, if you decide to stick to God's Word. We all knew that it would come to pass sometime, we just didn't know that it would be in our time."
JohnB agreed, and so did Mom.
"Dad," I asked, "are you sure that this is a danger? Maybe it's just the thing we've needed since the world is in such a mess. Why not give it a try?"
"JG, that's a perfectly reasonable question, except for the Bible. God says that when the conditions are just as they are now, and a world ruler proclaims that we are all to be marked, ‘rich and poor, slave and free,’ then we can know that it is the time that Satan has been given control for his last big chance to be worshipped. If we willingly go over onto his side and give our allegiance to him, we will be rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ who will come soon after. If we don‘t go along, we will be enemies of The Plan and we will be beheaded, if they catch us."
"But, Dad, are you sure that this is it? Haven't people been wrong about this back in the past? What about in the nineties? Didn‘t lots of people predict that the church would be taken up to heaven before the new millennium? It all seemed foolish when nothing happened." I argued. I didn't want to be a fool if I could help it.
"That's why our decision tonight is so serious. It has to be by faith and obedience as best we know," said Dad.
"Well, can't we ask somebody who really knows?" I nagged.
"Who could we trust, JG? Everyone is going to be tempted to provide for his family and to keep food on his table. Jesus told us that this time would be so deceiving that even the elect would be confused. We have to answer to our Creator on judgment day . . . and to no One else."
I guess I had never thought of judgment day as an actual event. At fourteen, I was mostly thinking about other things.
Paul kept quiet, but we had found out that he was as smart as a genius once he got interested in anything. He was listening and listening hard.
Rooster chimed in with a surprise opinion. "Well, what if we do get beheaded. Shucks, it would just take a few seconds and we probably wouldn‘t even feel it. I’d a whole lot rather face that than to bum in the lake of fire forever. Count me in, Dad."
Then it was Sol's turn again. "Dad, I would rather starve to death on my way to heaven than to eat good on my way to hell, just like the preacher used to say on the radio."
I didn't want to be odd man out. "Sure, me too," I said, hearing the thumping of my heart.
"I’m grateful for your agreement," said Dad. "We'll see things a little better in daylight, and we do have a few days to get ready. I’d like to tell you the ideas I already have. I’ve been holding off about getting a truck because it seemed as if this news might be coming. We can survive if we can live without buying or selling or having to sign anything. I’ve got a lot of credit in the system now, and we can stockpile food and supplies to help carry us through.
"To the best of my figuring, we'll have about three or four years before we see Jesus' face. Can we make it, young brothers and mother? Can we be over-comers?
"I think our best bet is to all go to the dentist and the eye doctor. We can get extra glasses, Scopi, in case we break ours. Mom, we'll get whatever the baby will need and medical supplies, if we can. You all help me think of what it will take for us to live.
"We can stuff the cave full of food and clothes. If we run out, we'll just have to be like old Elijah sitting by that little brook, waiting for the Lord to remember us by airmail," he joked.
Oh well, it was better to laugh than to cry.